Escaped prisoner who fled brother’s funeral believed to be in Melbourne, police say

Police say it was a busy funeral – with about 300 people gathering at a Melbourne cemetery on Anzac Day to farewell the brother of Orijol Rukaj.

Before assuming his duties as a pallbearer, Rukaj was escorted to the Keilor East service by corrections staff. But corrections staff didn’t bring him back to prison.

Instead, in a panic, they called triple zero when they realised the 47-year-old accused drug importer – who Victoria police allege also has ties to the Albanian mafia – was no longer there.

The escaped prisoner, who had been on remand, hasn’t been seen in the six weeks since.

Police are appealing for information about escaped prisoner Orijol Rukaj, pictured here on CCTV footage. Photograph: supplied by Victoria police

“We know that there was a dark coloured Toyota Landcruiser at that location and … we believe that he was picked up by that Landcruiser and left,” acting Det Insp Simon Pengelly said on Thursday.

“Just due to the sheer amount of people, [corrections staff] couldn’t see.”

Police said they questioned Rukaj’s associates and family members across 20 addresses around Melbourne on Tuesday.

“[As] a result of those inquiries, we believe that Rukaj is still within the metropolitan Melbourne area,” Pengelly said.

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Police said they have identified several people they believe helped Rukaj plan his escape but in a statement on Thursday morning said: “Those people are currently offshore.”

Speaking later on Thursday, Pengelly said one of those people was arrested at Melbourne airport that morning, but has since been released without charge.

Pengelly appealed for people with any information about Rukaj’s whereabouts to come forward. He said police believed he was not violent.

“[We] don’t believe that he’s a danger to the community, but obviously they’re very serious charges of drug importation.”